Written by Greg Fertel
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21 February 2007
When the Yankees nabbed lefty outfielder Brett Gardner from the College of Charlestown in 2005, he might've been unhappy for a minute - the native of South Carolina grew up as a Red Sox fan. But even the most devout member of RSN would have been thrilled to be chosen as the winningest franchise in history's third pick of the draft. It's obvious why the Yankees chose the kid, his CoC batting average was a weighty .447 (third in the nation), and his 122 hits were tied for most in the nation by an outfielder with ten more games on the season than he had.
In his first full year in the minor leauges, Gardner jumped from the Tampa Yankees to the Trenton Thunder sucessfully, and played a great seaon for the Peoria Sagueros in the AFL, holding a .298 average combined over 2006. In 2005, Gardner rocked the short season NY-Penn league, helping Staten Island bring home a championship with 32 RBI in 73 games. While his offensive numbers are nothing to scoff at, it isn't his bat that has scouts buzzing. In an organization that has Kevin Thompson, Bully Sardhena and Justin Christian, Brett Gardner is the fastest of them all. He's stolen 83 bases in his 218 game minor league career, with an sucess rate of 84%. One of the most appealing features of Gardner is his versitility on the basepaths. He's not a player who runs just for the sake of running. He uses his speed when and how his managers need it.
Potentially the most defensively talented player in the Yankee's farm system, Gardner is always one to keep your eye on. He's quick enough to grab nearly any ball hit remotely near him, and he has a precise and powerful arm. In an organization saturated with power hitting outfielders who defend well enough to get by, Brett Gardner is a small-ball player who is fun to watch no matter where he is on the field.
And now, drumroll please? The trivia answers. Congrats to all of those who rock.
1. Which outfield slugger won the AA All-Star Homerun Derby in 2004 and the AAA All-Star Homerun Derbyin 2005 in his respective leagues?
Mitch Jones - A: Eric
2. Which underrated Yankees hurler threw a no-hitter on 08/17/06?
Tyler Clippard - A: Eric
3. Name the Yankees hawaiian outfielder whose homerun tied Game 4 of the 2005 EL playoffs against the Portland Sea Dogs. Hint: The shot knocked the right fielders glove over the fence.
Bronson "Bully" Sardinha - A: Eric
4. Who was the first Yankee to rehab with the Trenton Thunder?
Still Unanswered!
5. Justin Christian proved last season that all your base are belong to him. With 68 steals (13 CS), whose record for most steals in a Trenton Thunder season did he shatter?
Kevin Thompson's! A: Eric
And, extra credit:
6. Why is the Defenestration of Prague the coolest history event ever?
Well, LLL's answer was what I was looking for, but Steve found an unintentional trick question here, so they both get virtual freshly baked cookies.
